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Exhibitions

The Grand Place To Be

For the 20th anniversary of the inclusion of the Grand-Place in Brussels on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Brussels City Museum and the Cellule Patrimoine Historique (Heritage Department) are offering a unique exhibition in this iconic place of Brussels architecture.

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Manneken-Pis

MASTERPIECE

Maison du Roi

The Museum of the City of Brussels resides in a neo-Gothic style building known as the Maison du Roi in French and Broodhuis in Dutch. The first masterpiece of the museum, the building was listed in its entirety in 1936 (one of the first in Belgium) and has been listed alongside the Grand-Place as a UNESCO world heritage site since 2000.

The tapestry cartoon

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The Wedding Cortège

There are currently about fifteen known paintings which depict the same scene. These were produced by different painters and, until recently, all were considered to be copies of a lost work by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

04.10.18 > 29.09.19

The Grand Place to be

In order to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List, The Grand-Place to be reveals all the secrets of this square which is a symbol of the architecture and life in Brussels.

Standing five metres tall, the original statue of Saint Michael, specially moved for the occasion, guides the visitor through some rare and previously unseen rooms. Paintings, objects, engravings and photographs illustrate the square’s eventful history, its various functions and uses and its transformations from the 12th century to today. The restoration workshops are presented to the public for the first time.

A true behind-the-scenes discovery of the most beautiful square in the world!

04.10.2018 > 29.12.2019

An unprecedented virtual reality experience

The visitor, wearing a headset, goes back in time to discover the Grand-Place in the 17th century. Suddenly, a cannon ball plunges them into “the” moment which dramatically tipped Brussels into terror: the bombardment of 1695. A key moment in the city’s history and the origin of its architectural and urban revival.

To be enjoyed as a family (a special kids version is available from age 12).

Saturday 23.02.2019

Museum Night fever

It’s been 20 years since UNESCO made the Grand-Place a world heritage site, so hip hip hooray! To celebrate it, the Maison du Roi is presenting the exhibition The Grand-Place to be which invites St Michel to meet the real Manneken Pis for the occasion. Guided tours (continously)

During the evening Le Rapt Invisible will be giving an astonishing performance, combining Gregorian chants and electro music. Just like this mythical Brussels square, they make for an eclectic mix of old and contemporary. A performance of this kind in the heart of this neogothic building can’t be anything other than mind-blowing.Performance (20’) : 20.00, 21.00, 22.00, 23.00, 00.00

Discover masterpieces!

New hanging in the tapestry room

Regularly the presentation of the tapestries is renewed, on the one hand to allow the textile to rest sheltered from the light and the tensions, on the other hand to vary the pleasures and to put back in honor of the pieces of the collection.

As part of the exhibition Bernard Van Orley Brussels and the Renaissance (Bozar, from February 20 to May 26, 2019), the museum wanted to highlight some of his tapestries of the golden age, and particularly the exceptional "Our Lady of the Sablon" whose cardboard (preparatory drawing) was made by Bernard Van Orley.